The high-profile trial concerning the assassination of Martinez Zogo, a prominent radio host in Cameroun who was brutally killed in January 2023, resumed on June 1st, 2026, at the military tribunal in Yaoundé. During the proceedings, a previously unseen video was presented, depicting the final moments of the victim as he lay bloodied and pleading for help.
Martinez Zogo, a well-known figure on Amplitudes FM, had gained notoriety for his relentless criticism of public figures in Cameroun. His abduction and subsequent murder sent shockwaves through the nation, prompting widespread outrage and demands for justice.
The session on June 1st focused on the testimony of Professor Georges Bell Bitjocka, a cybersecurity expert tasked with analyzing digital evidence from the accused individuals’ devices.
For the first time, the courtroom witnessed graphic evidence: screenshots and a harrowing video of Martinez Zogo’s torture. The footage showed the host bound, blood streaming from a severed ear, and his face covered in wounds, desperately calling for assistance.
Witnesses in the courtroom were visibly shaken. As the video played, many burst into tears, unable to bear the emotional weight of the scene.
Ludovic Zabze, attorney for Amplitudes FM, recounted the moment: “By the end of the video, I couldn’t look anymore. I turned to the accused, and even they seemed devastated. The emotional toll is overwhelming.”
The damning video was recovered from the Google account of Godje Oumarou, one of the accused and a key member of the suspected assassination squad.
During a recorded conversation from January 17, 2023, one of the accused communicated with Justin Danwe, a former operations director at Cameroun’s external intelligence agency (DGRE). Danwe allegedly instructed the suspect to capture images of what he referred to as “the mouse”—a coded term identified as Martinez Zogo.
Maître Séri Zokou, representing former DGRE chief Maxime Eko Eko, vehemently denied any involvement of his client in the crime: “There is absolutely no connection between my client and these events. The phone data presented as evidence was handed over to the joint investigation committee and the examining magistrate—there was nothing incriminating against him.”
Professor Georges Bell Bitjocka also examined the devices of other accused individuals, including Jean-Pierre Amougou Belinga, Bruno Bidjang, and Martin Savom.
Maître Calvin Job, representing Martinez Zogo’s family, emphasized the significance of the digital evidence: “If the court relies on this report, it will have already resolved 98% of the case.”
Revisiting the Martinez Zogo case
On January 22, 2023, Cameroun was stunned by the discovery of Martinez Zogo’s lifeless body near Yaoundé. The 51-year-old radio personality, whose real name was Arsène Salomon Mbani Zogo, left behind a grieving family. His popular morning show, “Embouteillages”, was known for its fearless critiques of societal ills and powerful figures—except for President Paul Biya, whom he consistently praised.
Just five days prior, on January 17, 2023, Zogo was abducted in the evening and later found brutally murdered on a remote plot of land, approximately 25 kilometers from the capital. His body bore unmistakable signs of torture.
After a lengthy investigation, Colonel-Magistrate Pierrot Narcisse Nzie, the military judge overseeing the case, indicted 17 suspects, all currently in detention. Among them were Léopold Maxime Eko Eko, former DGRE director; Lieutenant-Colonel Justin Danwe, a former DGRE operations director; Jean-Pierre Amougou Belinga, media mogul and owner of L’Anecdote; and Stéphane Martin Savom, a local mayor and administrative official from the Central region of Cameroun.
The trial, initially delayed by procedural hurdles, commenced on March 25, 2024, at the military tribunal in Yaoundé. Full hearings on the merits began on September 1, 2025.
